Besides the usual blood pressure and weight checks, centering includes group sessions in the late stages of pregnancy, with at least eight to 10 women with similar due dates.

Elicia Alvarez is pregnant with her third child, but is getting valuable new information this time around. When asked if she thinks it’s beneficial to be with other women, she said: “Yeah, because everybody goes through different things, so it’s fun to get to know like what different people are going through, maybe you’ll experience it or you’re having an experience you can share with other girls so they can find out,” she said.

The ultimate goal of the centering prenatal program is a healthy full-term baby and happy, healthy mom.

Besides all the health risks, the costs of a premature delivery ranges from $22,000 to $55,000, an added expense the centering program seeks to avoid.